Owners of the mid-2000s Porsche Carrera GT are set to receive a fresh pair of complimentary Michelin tyres newly created for the supercar.
Almost 20 years after production of the Porsche Carrera GT ended, Porsche has collaborated with tyre manufacturer Michelin to create a new set of ultra-high-performance tyres for the supercar – and every current owner is due to receive a set for free.
The fresh tyres utilise the latest rubber compound technology and incorporate specific structures designed with the V10-powered Porsche Carrera GT in mind.
More than 1200 examples of the Porsche Carrera GT were built between 2003 and 2006.
The Porsche Carrera GT has been involved in high-profile crashes over the last twenty years, reportedly involving hardened tyre rubber caused by cars spending their time as part of collections rather than being driven regularly.
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Michelin used two different rubber compounds on separate sections of the tyre – in what is known as bi-compound technology – to achieve a high-grip balance between wet and dry road conditions.
Porsche development driver Jörg Bergmeister was involved in testing the new tyres, and reports the feedback at their upper limits makes it much easier to discern when the car starts to lose grip.
According to the car maker, Porsche Carrera GTs fitted with the fresh rubber now stop sooner, with the braking distance from 100km/h to zero said to be 2.5 metres shorter than before, while the 200-0km/h distance has improved by a full 12 metres.
“The new tyres do not just make the Carrera GT faster, they also make it easier for the driver to pilot the car at speed,” said Bergmeister in a media statement.
Branded as Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, this latest set from Michelin is the second tyre update for the Porsche Carrera GT, after new Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber was developed for the car a decade ago.
The tyres are model-specific and carry the NO- designation.
It’s not the first time that Porsche has provided significant updates for its older models. Early Porsche 911s can be fitted with in-house touchscreen infotainment units incorporating Apple CarPlay technology.
The Carrera GT’s new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 NO-designation tyres can be ordered from Porsche Classic partners or Porsche Centres.
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